Dispenser carton



Dec. 29, 1959 H. R. MCCLERY 2,919,020

DISPENSER CARTON Filed June 24, 1957 Sheets-Sheet 1 y a v mfc MK r m f M m/ M a I n .m l f Dec. 29, 1959 H. R. MocLEARY 2,919,020

DISPENSER CARTON Filed June 24. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nitcd States Patent 2,919,020 DISPENSER CARTON Harry R. McCleary, Chicago, Ill., assigner to` Thormac Packaging Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Iliinois Application June 24, 1957, Serial No. 667,478

6 Claims. (C1. 20a- 57) Thisl invention relatesy generally to dispenser cartons and boxes, and more specifically to animproved dispenser carton foi sheet material, which cartonis adapted`v for use in severalways.

Although the principles of the present invention may be included in various cartons or boxes, a particularly useful application is made in cartons of the type that permit the dispensing of exible sheet material therefrom. In particular, some users of such boxes are desirous of withdrawing sheet material from a fully open box. Others prefer to withdraw the material from a box which is closable. Still others prefer to withdraw the sheet material from a semi-open box in either a horizontal or vertical position. When such material is withdrawn with the box resting in a horizontally disposedl position, it is sometimes awkward to reach the material in the carton. If the sheet material be withdrawn from a carton wherein the sheet material is vertically disposed, there is a tendency for flexible material to buckle and to settle at the bottom, thus making the material inaccessible, or imparting an undesirable curl to its lower edge.

The present invention contemplates the utilization of a single blank to form a rigid box in which the contents may be shipped, and from which the contents may beY dispensed in a number of ways. The blank preferably comprises resilient material and includes a large resilient tab, integral with one wall thereof, which may be deformed to be positioned intermediate the material and the opposite wall, whereby the sheet material is resiliently urged to a dispensing position.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dispenser carton which may be used in any one of several ways.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shipping carton which may be Converted to a dispensing structure by the user.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a carton having an integral resilient means for urging 1 the contents into the dispensing position.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art by making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by Way of illustrative example.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser carton equipped with an integral tab provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a development of the unitary lblank from which the carton of Figure l is constructed;

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional View taken along the line III-III of Figure l, showing an end portion thereof;

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken generally along the line IVIV of Figure l, but with the tab in an vopen contents-dispensing position;

l 2,919,020 Patented Dec. 29, 1959 ICC Figure 5 is an. end view taken generally along line V'-V ofFigure 4; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1,` taken along. the line VI-VI thereof, but with the frontV wall cut away, whereby the structure of Figure l may bev used as a rigid tray.

As shown on the drawings:

The principles of the present invention are particularly useful when embodied in a dispenser carton such as illustrated in Figure l, generally indicated by the numeral'lt). Cartons of this type, are .particularly useful for the shipping, storage and handling of flexible sheet ma terial, and for that reason, the carton is normally con- `structed to comprise a rectangularhollow body.

Referring to Figure 2,7there is shown a developmentof' the unitary blank from wlnch the carton of Figure l is constructed. Preferably the blank comprises resilient material. I have foundv that corrugated cardboard is wellsuited for the purposes herein described, and when such material is utilized, the corrugations preferably extend parallel to the edges numbered 32 and 33.

The blank i1' includesa front wall 12, a back wall 13' comprising back panels 14 and l5. The blank 1-1 further includes a pair of side wall-s 16 and -`17 whichV integrally join with the frontwall" 12H and the back wall. 13. Each ofthe side walls f6 and'17 has a pair of side., flaps 18-21 respectively, such side flaps joining integrally;v The front wall'has a pair` of end aps 22, vZS'each of which joins integrally withA with the respective side walls.

the front wall. The back wall'll3 likewise has a pair `of end flaps. comprising four parts` 24-2'7; Since the back. wall panels 14and 1'5V maybe considered ascomprisir'lg` a single wall13,fso also maythe, end flaps 2.4 and 2.6k

be consideredas comprisingma single end flap, while the end flaps 25 'and27 may likewise `be considered ascorn-V prising a single end ll'ap,

The front wall 12' has aseries of lperforations.30.each;V of which preferably extends through the front wall'land'v which series is disposed in a generally Urshaped :configuration to define a resilient tab 31. It will'benoted. that the open end ofthe U extends toward a pair of edges 32.-

and 33 of the carton, and is here shown as coinciding.V with the edge 32' of the .front wall 12.r Thus, the tab 31T. is integrally hinged at the lopen end of the U to anvedge.v

of the carton. If desired, the series of perforations 3.0A

may extend `to the edge 33.V For ease ofseparatingthe.. tab 31 from the rest of the front wa1l`ll2, a semi-circularv portion- 34 may be provided with va somewhat smaller.

radiusto serve as a pressure point fortheV thumb or finger. direction, and is here shown as beingdirected oppositely to the main pattern of perforations 302 The panel 14 and ytheflaps24and, 25 have an edge.. 35, while the panel`15'and the flaps 26 and 27 have an: edge 36. When, the box is assembled, the edges 35 and.

36 are brought into confrontingy abutting relationship with each other, to form a generally tubular-structure of a flatwise confronting or overlapping relationshipfwith` them. Thereafter, the 'ap'23 is brought into an.over. lapping relationshipwith the end aps 25"and 27. Bonding or-cementing'material, such as glue, is applied yat the various interfaces, i.e., between the various flapfs indicated `at 4ti on Figure'3. Preferably, a similar relative.

dispositionu of 4the'ilaps'is utilizedat 'the opposite end of,"l

Such linger portion 34, maybe directed in either.

Where the user desires to maintain a closable structure,l

he may separate the tab 31 along the perforations 30, .hinging the tab 31 along the edge 32 for the removal-of the goods therefrom. At any time thereafter, the tab 31 may be returned to the original position to close the carton. Y

When a somewhat more convenient means is desired for dispensing, the tab 31 may first be separated trom.

the main portion of the front wall 12 after which further pulling on the tab with a force normal to the side Wall 16 will cause a tearing of the side wall 16 at the edges of the tab 31 in a direction transverse to the principal length of the side wall 16, as bestl shown by lines 50 and 51 in Figure 5. Thereafter, the tab 31, being resilient and deformable, may be inserted as best shown in Figure 4 between the flexible sheets of material S and the back wall 13. Thus, the tab 31 may include two portions, a portion 41 coming from the front wall 12 and a portion 42 coming from the side 16. Thus, when the tab 31 is open, it leaves an opening 43 through which the various sheets of material may partially extend. It will be noted that the sheets typically extend beyond the knee or joint between the portion 42 and the portion 41 of the tab 31 to leave an overhanging portion which may be readily grasped. It is to be understood that the tab 31 is held in the position shown in Figure 4 by the material S, and therefore the tab 31 exerts a reactive force thereagainst to move the stack toward the opening 43 as sheets are withdrawn from the top thereof. The cover 12 reacts against the upper surface of the upper sheet adjacent to the rim of the U- shaped opening 43 while the tab 31 acts within the area dei-ined by the opening 43. Accordingly, as best shown in Figure 5, there is a slight tendency for the sheets S to bow outwardly in the center, thus further facilitating their being grasped.

In the foregoing paragraph, it has been assumed that the back wall 13 was lowermost, sov that the sheets were generally horizontal. When the dispenser box or carton is disposed so that the side 17 forms the bottom, thereby disposing the sheets in a generally vertical position, gravity tends to act on the sheets to cause them to fall to the bottom of the box, causing sheet buckling, wrinkling and the like. The instant structure, when placed with the side 17 downward, also serves to correct this situation. Under this condition, none of the resilience of the tab 31 is used to overcome the weight of the sheets, but such resilience is devoted entirely to the forcing of the `vertical sheets against the inner surface of the front Wall 12. Thus, this structure further solves the sheet buckling problem encountered when boxes of this type aredisposed with their contents vertically oriented by holding up the stack of sheets.

Because of the rigid bonding and overlapping of the various end flaps, it is possible to cut away all of the front 12, or all of the back 13, as illustrated in Figure 6. If the top 12 be removed, it is to be understood that the tab 31 may also be removed as shown, or may be left attached to underlie the sheets as shown in Figure 4. Because of this corner or flap structure, the carton 10 may be converted into a tray which needs no regluing, reriveting or refastening of any type, and which remains suiciently rigid to accommodate its contentsand the handling of the filled tray.

Thus, there has been provided a novel dispensing carton which is made from a unitary blank and which has` a novel resilient tab which may be used not only for makingthe contentsraccessible, but for resiliently displacing the contents to a position from which they may be more readily removed. Furthermore, the carton may be used as either a shipping carton initially and may be readily converted to a rigid tray or other means from which the goods may be dispensed.

Although various minor modications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody Within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A carton for containing and dispensing ilexible sheets of material, said carton including a front wall, a

back wall, and a plurality ofside walls integrally joini ing and spacing the front and back walls, a resilient biplanar tab, said tab comprising a part of said front and Y part of one of said side walls and integrally hinged to an edge of said back wall, said tab being deformable and positionable entirely intermediate the sheets and said back wall for urging the sheet material toward said front wall.

2. A carton for dispensing iiexible sheet material, said Acarton comprising a resilient tearable blank constructed the front wall and disposed in a generally U-shaped configuration to define a prospective tab, the open end of the U extending toward and terminating at an edge of one of said side walls, said tab as a whole having a length parallel to and substantially shorter than the length of said edge but greater than one-half the length of said edge.

3. A carton for dispensing flexible sheet material, saidV carton comprising a resilient tearable blank constructed and arranged in the form of a rectangular hollow body having generally parallel front and back walls spaced by a plurality of side walls for receiving the sheet material therebetween; a series of perforations extending through the front wall and disposed in a generally U-shaped con-` figuration to define a prospective tab, the open end of the U extending toward and terminating at an edge of one of said side walls, said tab as a whole having a length parallel to and substantially shorter than the length of said edge but greater than one-half the length of said edge, said one side wall being adapted to be torn transversely at the ends of the U for converting said tab into a means for continuously biasing the material against said front wall.

4. In combination: a carton including a front wall, a back wall, and a plurality of side walls integrally joining and spacing the front and back walls; a stack of flexible sheets contained in said carton between and generally parallel to said front and back walls; a resilient biplanar tab comprising a part of said front wall and part of one of said side walls and integrally hinged to said back wall, said tab being positionable entirely intermediate said stack and said back wall and operative to urge said stack toward the front wall. y

5. In combination: a carton comprising a resilient tearable blank constructed and arranged in the form of a length parallel to and substantially shorter than the length of said edge but greater than one-half the length of said edge, said one side wall being adapted to be torn transversely atV the ends of said U shape.' l

6. -In combination: a carton comprising a blank constructed and arranged in the form of a rectangular hollow body having generally parallel front and back walls and two pairs of opposed side walls spacing said front and back walls; a stack of flexible sheet material disposed intermediate said walls; a resilient tab comprising two portions,

one of said portions originally comprising only a part of said front wall and the other of said portions comprising only a part of one of said side walls, said other tab portion being integrally hinged to said back wall; said front Wall having an opening substantially identical to said one tab portion in configuration, and sized to permit removal of said sheet material therethrough; said tab portions being resiliently hinged together and having a free position Where the planes of said portions intersect each other at an angle; said tab being positionable intermediate and in engagement with said stack and said back wall with said 6 tab portions deflected thereby to a greater included angle, whereby said tab reacts to urge said sheet material toward said front wall adjacent to said opening.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 21,398 Thor Mar. 12, 1940 1,657,737 Bogren Jan. 31, 1928 1,887,338 Stephens Nov. 8, 1932 1,974,038 Baxter Sept. 18, 1934 2,008,949 Ellsworth July 23, 1935 2,149,400 Mazer Mar. 7, 1939 2,214,510 Robinson Sept. 10, 1940 2,615,239 Allen et al; Oct. 28, 1952 2,657,792 Ward Nov. 3, 1953 2,778,559 Boitel Jan. 22, 1957 

